FINAL REFLECTION

 

1. What they like about blogging.

Firstly, before I entered this course, I already know about blogging. I love to blogging because I can read other’s mind by just entering their blog. The purpose why I am blogging is because I like to read e-novel. I love to read and sometimes I need to spend a lot of money just to buy books. However, after I know that we can read the books or novel in someone’s blog, I become addicted to surf their blog. And it becomes my new hobby.

One day, I wonder if I have my own blog, it must be fun as I can share my view or experience to others bloggers. However, I do not know how to start my blogging account. Since it is a new thing, my friends do not know how to help me. I am very happy to have blogging assignment for this course. Now, I know that if we must go to www.blogger.com in order to start blogging. This is my blog suhailisarif69.blogspot.com.

 I love blogging because it is like an e-diary for me. Specifically for this course, I have to write what I have learnt for that particular week. As I said before, blogging is like e-diary. What make I like about it is, I can decorate my entry @ diary for that day like put picture, video, or anything that related with the topic I learnt on that week. Compared to diary, I cannot put all those things on it.

   2. What they do not like about blogging.

One of the advantages of blogging are I can get comment from others bloggers about my entry. So, I know whether they agree with me or not. However, I am quite disappointed because after I wrote the entries, it is quite difficult to get feedback from them. Maybe this is my fault because I think if I want others bloggers to leave their comments, I should start comment their blogs first.

Another thing is if I go to my friends’ blog, they tend to write entries that make me sad. This is because they write it unprofessionally by using their emotions while writing the entries. They should realize blog is open to all surfers through out the world. Everyone can read our blog. So, they have to bare in mind that if they want to write anything, they must think the consequences.

 

   3. What have they gained from blogging eg. Language skills, improved fluency, critical thinking, improved thought processes, technology skills etc.

1. Critical thinking

2. Technology skill

   4. How?

Many things I gain from blogging. In terms of critical thinking, I have developed it as I have to reflect what I have learnt for that particular week. Besides, I have to think why the lesson is important and how I apply it to my students. Besides, I cannot simply write want I want to write because blogging is a worldwide thing. I have to think the sensitivity of other people.

            Technology skill is another skill I learnt from blogging. Via blogging, I know how to put picture, video, music, and other gadgets in my blog. It makes my blog more attractive and i have put others bloggers link in my blog. So, it is for me and others blogger to go to their blog.

  5. What they like about the course

            This course has taught me many things about how to integrate technology in ESL classroom. They are internet skill, photo editing, audio editing, video editing, e-book, developing four skills in lesson plan and how to use software to teach children English lesson. I can apply this knowledge when I am going for teaching.

   6. What they do not like about the course

            I do not like the time that we get to learn all these interesting and beneficial skill within 14 weeks. I think if I get more time to learn other skills, I can get more knowledge.

            Other than that, I realize I just learn about how to use technology in teaching English for the instructional material. The non-technology instructional material is not being teach in this course as the course entitled using and developing resources in ESL classroom.

   7. What they have learnt from the course?

            As I said earlier, I have learnt internet skill, photo editing, audio editing, video editing, e-book, developing four skills in lesson plan and how to use software to teach children English lesson.

   8. What they do not expect but have learnt from the course

            I do not expect to learn about internet skill like photo editing, uploading in the youtube and so on.

 

 

   9. What they expect but have not learnt from the course.

            At first I expect to learn how we are going to be creative to use non-traditional teaching aids in the ESL classroom. However, we are learning about technology teaching aids and it is a new experience to me.

 

10. If they can change anything about the course, state what it is and explain.

            I think we should have lecturer and tutors for this course. It is quite difficult for my lecturer to handle it alone. This course requires us to do many tasks. I think if she has more assistants, it can help her a lot.

 

Week fourteen – Final exam and portfolio!!!

    

Week 14^th is the final week for this semester. We have come to this week after we have learnt many new and useful things throughout the whole fourteen week. As we have learnt many things, this week is the week where our knowledge will be tested.  The exam consists of four questions on what we have learnt in this course. Overall, I am satisfied with my answers.

For me, the questions are more to critical thinking and application questions. We have to think deeply on how we are going to apply the teaching materials that we have learnt in order to English language. For example, there is one question that we have to write a summary about a story about animal story, a legend, a myth, a funny story or folklore since Malaysia has many kind of stories. Before choosing the story, we have to consider its suitability for students in primary school. Then, we have to design a storyboard for the story in preparation of animal video. Here, I have to think quickly and not to forget to make sure it is suitable for children. I choose The Hare and The Rabbit because I found that it is suitable for children as this story is about two animals who are want to race in order to find who is the fastest animals in the world. I realized that it is not easy to choose suitable for children as we have to consider the suitability of content, the teaching point that we want to teach them, the familiarity, and the moral of the story and so on. After this, I will try to be more critical in order to choose the best story that can make them to acquire more knowledge especially about English language. 

Week thirteen – Children Software

             This week, Puan Foziah introduced us to another teaching instructional material which is children software. She mentioned about Freddie Fish and other examples. By just looking at the CD cover and the title, I assumed that this software is applicable to be applied in the ESL classroom.

According to Oxford Dictionary, software is a program and other operating information used by a computer. So, children software can be said as a program meant for children using a computer as a tool for teaching material. This software contains many purposes in order to teach English for children. For example, it can be only focus on grammar exercises, reading skill, vocabulary and so on. There is also game activity for them in order to acquire Englsih language.

I think that children software is interesting to be used in ESL classroom. The game and activity that contains in the software creates a new dimension in teaching field. In stead of only used chalk and talk and common task sheet, children software allows teacher and students to gain new knowledge using this software. For instance, the Freddie Fish software, it is a kind of problem solving activity. Children has to help Freddie to solve his problem where his school faced with problem as there is no students want to come to school. Freddie and his friend investigate this problem. Here, students will help them. Thus, it allows students to develop their cognitive skill. Moreover, it can attract pupils’ attention to learn English indirectly suit with their nature of learning which is they learn indirectly rather than directly. Games are the best tool as children like to play and more attracted to play game compared to other tool. 

week tweflth

On 7th of October lecture, it was a new week after we have a short break for Hari Raya Puasa celebration. The class started with discussion on our assignment. When she asked about it, I cannot answer it honestly I did not do anything during the Raya break. I wanted to spend my time to do at least 50% of the assignment. However, I was so busy preparing for Hari Raya. I had no choice to tell Puan Foziah that I still not working on anything on it. Suddenly, after we told her that our works are not reach 50%, she immediately told us to work on it now. Thanks a lot to her as she gave us opportunity to finish my assignment.
She also has came to me and asked me personally the progression of my assignment. After I told the truth, she gave me her opinion on how to design a good lesson plan. She also gave some tips which was I can integrate the skill with other skill. It is essential to integrate these skills because it can complement each other.

SALAM AIDILFITRI

salam to all. i take this oppurtunity to ask for forginess, divine blessings for you and halal for everything =). this poem has been taken from www.thesutras.org

The holy month of Ramadan
For all Muslims has begun.
Praising Allah through the day,
From dawn to dusk we fast and pray.
We pay zakah (charity) for those in need,
Trying hard to do good deeds.

When the sun has set, and day is done-
I’ll break this chain, but only one.
By the end of Ramadan, this whole chain will be all gone!
It’s time for Eid and lots of fun!!!

Week eleven - Analyzing research papers

        A week before Hari Raya Puasa. I cannot wait to going back. But, I must be patient since there was only one class for resources class. This week, we have a new task which is we have to analyze research papers that discuss/report on the research in using teaching aids in the classroom. This is a pair work task and my partner is Azliza.

 

          Researches are important in order to be black and white evidence. From research, we can see that everything that we want to say can be supported by research. So, it is essential to find prove that how important teaching aids to integrate in the ESL classroom. Puan Foziah has set up criteria that we need to find for our article. These guidelines help us in order to find a suitable article. She also has gave us some cites that can be visited and it makes our finding easier.

 

          Last week, Puan Foziah has gave us some notes that need to be presented this week. Our topic is “What do we want teaching materials for?”. So, as teacher we have to question ourselves, how the teaching aids will help us in our teaching and learning in the ESL classroom. We have to reflect what the roles of the teaching aids are. They are two roles of teaching aids which are DEFICIENCY and DIFFERENCE. Teaching materials are to save learners from teachers’ deficiency. It means that, teacher can use teaching aids as their supporters in their teaching and learning process. I found that as a teacher, we have to select appropriate material as well as creative enough to exploit them.

Week ten - submission of Assignment 2: Assessing and Manipulating videos for the ESL classroom

         Satisfied! Relief! Happy! Those words reflected my feelings as this week we have to submit our second assignment. We have to manipulate the Earth Song by Michael Jackson and then we have to find another video. This is the link for our second video. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YB55V2wpwYI&feature=related

You may visit this url as you can find that this video is interesting in order to be applied in the classroom.

 

          In this assignment, we have to work as a pair work. My partner is Azliza Ramlee. This is our second time work as pair work as our first collaboration is on video edit task. I wanted to keep on work with her because she is good and she is the best partner ever. Thanks to you Azliza. Besides, she supported me while I am facing with difficulties through out finishing this assignment. I found that choosing the right partner is really important as we need to complement each other in order to produce quality of work. While dealing with this assignment, we discussed to divide the work. Azliza was taking the Earth song video while I took the second video. This is because the consideration of time consuming. However, even though we did not do the work together, we still discuss if anyone of us faced with problems while doing the assignment. From this assignment, I realized how cooperation is important.

 

          For second assignment, we have to manipulate and produce new materials in order to use in the ESL classroom. I decided to choose use pictures that have been extracted from the video to be the new developing material. This because it is suitable with my teaching point which is giving instructions. These pictures will help a teacher to give instruction to pupil. Yet, they are also will be used in the production stage. So, as a teacher, it is essential to produce and manipulate the materials as it is not a waste. Moreover, it shows our creativity as many things can be produced from a single video clip.

 

          For the task for this week, Puan Foziah has introduced on how to use Microsoft Publisher. We have to work in pair and my partner is Azliza. I am comfortable work with her and that is why I still want to work with her. We have to create pamphlet, business card, poster and book cover for this task. Puan Foziah has left some room for us to create any theme for our task. For second task, it is a group work. My group members are Azliza, Huda, Rimala and Safrina. Using Microsoft Publisher, we have to create a newsletter. We decided to create a newletter for Cooking club.